Massage vibrator



April 27 1926.

J LANZ MASSAGE VIBRATOR Filed Dec. 16, 1920 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

-' UNITED STATES;

1,582,479 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNLANZ, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. C. GILBERT COM- PANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

' nassaea vxaaa'roa.

Application filed December 16, 1920. Serial No. 481,185.

T all whom, it may cont-amt.

Be 1t.kno\vn that I, Jomv LANz,a citizen In the accompanying drawings: Fig. .1 is a slde elevation of a vibrator,

' .of the United States, residing at New embodying my improvements;

F1 2 isa sectional view of the same,

-Haven, county of New Haven, State of Uonnecticut,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Vibrators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' My invention relates to vibrators, and while the principles thereof may be particw larly useful in connection with massage vibrators, such as are frequently used by barbers in giving face massages and also by physicians and others for various purposes, they are equally applicable to a vibrating mechanism of anykind.

The type of vibrator which have selected to illustrate and describe is one which employs an electromagnet adapted to be used with an alternating pulsating current so that an applicator carrying member is adapted to be attractedttoward and released by the magnet. A spring is provided which actuates the applicator carrying member in an opposite direction so that a vibratory movement'is obtained. This spring may be conveniently provided as the carrying member of the a Iicator. One 0 e'ct of my invention is to simplify and improve the construction of a vibrator of this type and to secure at the same time an improved operation of the same.

Another object of my invention is to rovide a vibrator wherein the amplitude of vibration may be adjusted as desired over comparatively wide limits. The adjustment just referred to is obtained without removing the vibrator from the case or without even stopping the operation of the same. A further ob ect of my invention is to provide a vibrator, the parts of which will be a self-contained unit, entirely separate from and inde endent of the case which encloses the wor 'ng parts of the same.

More specifically, a furtherpbject of the and satisfactory device which is positive and efliclent 1n operatlon, and whlch is pleasingin appearance and of light weight, so that it may be easily carried in the hand.

showlng the working parts of the vibrating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the vibrating mechanism with the applicator and the en closing case removed; and

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the vibrating mechanism withthe applicator and the enclosing case removed.

The vibrator which I have selected to illustrate and describe is one which embodies the principles of my invention, consisting of an applicator 10, a vibrating mechanism 11, a supporting handle 12 and an enclosing case 13. The vibrating mechanism comprises a supporting frame 14, to which, it will be observed, all of the parts of the vibrator are attached. The support ing frame is provided at its lowerportion with a threaded opening 15, which is adapted to receive a threaded stem 16 upon the supporting handle. At the junction of this threaded stem with the supporting handle 12, a shoulder 17 is provided upon the handle. The case- 13 is provided with a main body portion 19 and a front cap portion 20, which is removably attached to the body portion. This attachment is secured by providing L-shaped recesses 21in the edge of the. body portion, providing bosses. 22 in the edge of the cap portion which are adapted to bereceived in the recesses 21, and then the cap may be rotated todocking position. The bodyportion 19 of the'cap is provided with an opening 23 at. its lower portion, through which the threaded stem .16 of the handle is adapted to extend, and in this mannet, the case maybe firmly clamped to the supporting frame when the stem 16 is received in this socket 15, by being clamped between the shoulder 17 and the lower base of the frame. Some packing 24'which may be in the form of a plece of fibre or the like may be placed between the case and the lower portion of the base 14 so as to prevent any looseness of the case when the handle is screwed into position.-

The operating mechanism for'the vibrator is secured upon the case 14 by two screws or and serves to hold the soft iron core at the outer end of these bolts in proper position relative to the associated parts. Upon each leg of the U-shaped core is placed a coil 28, which coils are connected in series in the usual way and supplied, in the embodiment shown, with an alternating current through the wires 29. It will be apparent that the principles of this invention may be appli cable also to a vibrator with which a direct current is used, although I have chosen to show a simple form of vibrator operated by an alternating current.

The applicator 10 is carried upon a member 30 which, in the embodiment illustrated, is shown as a resilient or spring member secured to the supporting frame at 31 and providcd with a body portion which passes over the poles of the magnet and has a downturned end to which the applicator is secured, A threaded socket member 32 is secured to the down-turned end of this carrying spring, and the applicator is secured upon a threaded stem 33, which is received in this socket member. A. soft iron armature 34 is secured to the carrying member at a point above the poles of the electromagnet so that when the magnet is energized by the current supplied through the wires 29, the carrying member will be attracted toward the same. It is seen that with the use of an alternating current, this attraction will be only momentary, and when the soft iron armature is released, the resilience of the carrying member will serve to actuate it in a direction away from the magnet, from which position it will again be attracted when the magnet is energized by the current. It is thus seen that an efiicient and positive vibrating operation of the applicator will be obtained. It will be apparent, of course, that the applicator carrying member might be pivot-ally connected to the supporting frame and a separate spring provided to actuate it in a direction away from the magnets, without departing from the principles of my invention in some of its aspects.

Provision is made for adjusting the tension of the spring carrying member in this case, so that an adjustment of the degree of vibratory movement of the carrying arm and applicator is obtained. A second spring in the form of a flat resilient member 35 is secured to the carrying member 30, preferably to an intermediate portion of the same, and in the form shown, it is connected to a portion of the carrying member which is opposite the soft iron armature. This spring member 35 extends rearwardly and is provided with a down-turned portion '36, which is slotted at its lower end as at 37, and which may be held in adjusted positions with respect to the frame 14 by an adjusting screw 38, provided with a threaded portion 39, which may be screwed into the frame member 141 and also provided with a shoulder portion 40 which is adapted to bear against the edges of the slot 37 to force the portion 36 of the spring 35 toward the frame, thus tending to raise the carrying member 30 from the poles of the magnet and to increase the tension of the same. It will be apparent that the opposite movement of the screw will allow the carrying member 30 to approach the poles of the magnet and will relieve the tension of the carrying member. Thus a very satisfactory provision for adjusting the degree of vibratory movement of the applicator is obtained.

It is observed that all of the working parts 0" applicants vibrator are attached to the supporting member 14 and are entirely separate from and independent of the case 13. The vibrating mechanism, consisting of the frame 14, and the operating mechanism, which is the electromagnet, the applicator carrying member 30, the tensioning spring member 35, the adjusting screw 38, all of which are secured to this frame 14, together with the supporting handle 19. and the ap plicator 10, constitute a unit, the parts of which in no way depend upon the case for their support or connections. The adjustment of the degree of vibratory movement may be accomplished without removing the case or without stopping the operation of the applicator. By unscrewing the supporting handle 12, the applicator 10 and the adjusting screw 38, the front cap of the case may be removed and the vibrating mechanism as a whole removed from the case. The parts may, of course, be re-asscmbled independently of the case, and the operation will be just as efficient.

hile I have shown and described my invention as applied to a massage vibrator, it. will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the exact details of the drawing, but is capable of many modifications and variations which will fall Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A vibrator comprising a casing, a frame within said casing, a flat resilient member connected at one end to the frame, and carrying an applicator at its free end, a second flat resilient member connected at one end to said first member and having its other end adjustably connected to the frame, and actuating mechanism for the applicator carried by the frame.

2. In a vibrator, a frame member having a base portion adapted to be secured to a handle member, and an arm portion generally at right angles to said base portion, an electro-magnet secured to said arm portion and extending parallel therewith, a resilient applicator supporting member secured-to the upper end of said arm portion and extending over the upper poles of said electro magnet, and having a portion turned downwardly parallel with said arm portion, said downwardly .turned portion being adapted to carry a massage applicator, said-supporting member having a magnet armature securedthereto at the portion thereof directly over said magnet polesand being tensioned to retain said armature out of contact with said poles, another resilient member secured to the first, said second resilient member extending downwardly, spaced from and parallel with said arm portion of said frame, and means to press the free end of said second resilient member toward said frame whereby additional tension may be supplied to and relieved from said firstmentioned resilient member to vary the vibrations caused by the attraction between the magnet poles and the armature.

3. In a vibrator, a frame member having a base portion provided with an arm portion extending upwardly therefrom, a supporting and operating member extending horizontally from the upper end of said frai'ne arm portion and having a depending portion provided with means for connection with a device to be vibrated, means secured to said frame member" for causing vibrations in said operating member, and means secured to said operating member and adjustable relatively to said frame member for controlling the tension of said operating memher to vary the amplitude of the vibrations thereof, said operating member tension controlling means and said connecting means for the device to be vibrated extending in opposite directions from said frame member.

4. In a vibrator, a casing, aframe mem ber comprising a base portion and an arm portion, an electro-magnet mounted thereon andtherebetween, a resilient vibrating member secured to the arm of said frame and extending over the poles of said electromagnet for vibration thereby, said member having a depending portion adapted for engagement with a device to be vibrated,

another resilient member secured to the'first mentioned one, sald second mentioned resilient member having a depending portion substantially parallel to and spaced from said frame arm, and means engaging said frame and operating upon said second mentioned resilient member to alter the tension of said first mentipnedresilient member, whereby the amplitude of vibrations thereof is controllable.

5. In a vibrator, a casing, a handle, a frame member attached thereto within said casing having a generally longitudinal arm portion, a flat springable-member having a transverse portion, one end secured to the upper end of said arm portion and turned at right angles to said arm portion and extend- 1ng forwardly parallel with said base portion, said member also having an integral portion depending from the forwardly extending portion, adapted for connection with a device to be vibrated, and an electromagnet secured to said frame between said depending member portion and said framearm portion and positioned to act upon an armature part of said forwardly extending portion of said flat member.

6. In a vibrator, a vibrating unit comprising an L-shaped supporting frame member, an electro-magnet secured thereto, a combined armature spring and applicator supporting member, said member being secured at one end to the-arm of said L- shaped member and extending over the poles of said magnet, having means at its free end to be connected to an applicator, and a casing about said unit, a vibration controlling spring member secured to said combined armature spring and applicator supporting member, means cooperating with said frame member 'and acting against said vibration controlling member whereby the amplitude of vibrations may be varied, said means for connecting said combined armature spring and applicator support with an applicator, and said means for acting against said vibration controlling means, extending without the casing in opposite directions.

7. In a vibrator, a handle, a frame mem ber attached thereto having a generally longitudinal arm portion, a longitudinally extending electro-magnet, and a flat springabletransversely extending member having an end ortion secured to said arm portion of said rame member, the other end portion being turned downwardly and adapted to be connectedwith a device to be vibrated, said springable member being 0 eratively positioned above said magnet an adapted to be attracted thereby whereby vibratlons are caused in said downwardly turned portion when said magnet is energized.

. 8. In a vibrator, a handle, a frame member attached thereto having a generally longitudinal arm portion, a longitudinally extending electro-magnet, a support for said electro-magnet secured to said arm portion and extending transversely therefrom, and a flat springabletransversely extending member havin an end ortion secured to said arm portion of said frame member, the otherend portion being turned downwardly and adapted to be connected with a device to be vibrated, said springable member being operatively positioned above said magnet and adapted to be attracted thereby whereby vibrations are caused 'in said downwardly turned portion when said magnet is energized. Y

9. In a vibrator, a handle, a frame meniber attached thereto, having a transversely extending base portion adapted to be engaged b said handle and having a generally longitut inally extending arm portion, a 10ngitudinally extending electro-magnet, a support for said electro-magnet secured to said arm portion and extending transversely therefrom, and a flat springable transversely extending member having an end portion secured to said arm ortion of said frame member, the other end portion being turned 10 downwardly and adapted to be connected said downwardly turned portion when said 15 magnet is energized.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 11th day of December, 1920.

JOHN LANZ. 

